Why the hell are there so many Ruperts in historical flicks? If your name is Rupert, are you contractually obligated to be in costume dramas or something? Also, for a name that is SO not considered sexy, a hell of a lot of Ruperts are actually REALLY sexy… So while these questions will likely never be answered, I think we should celebrate the Ruperts of Costume Flicks*.
Rupert Friend
Rupert Friend is probably best known to our audiences as Prince Albert in Young Victoria (2009), a.k.a. the Prince Albert who wasn’t a total mouth-breathing douche-bag.
In 2009, Rupert co-starred against Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri as the eponymous boy-toy of a retired courtesan.
And say what you will about the 2005 Pride & Prejudice (and believe me, we’ve said a lot), I wouldn’t kick his Mr. Wickham out of bed for damn sure.
In his earliest historical film role, he played the pretty-but-doomed Billy Downs in The Libertine (2004).
Rupert Everett
We’ve devoted a Man Candy Monday to this one, so I’ll just leave you with this image of Rupert Everett being devastatingly handsome in An Ideal Husband (1999):
Rupert Graves
Another Man Candy Monday alum, here’s Rupert Graves in The Madness of King George (1995), which also featured Rupert Everett as Prince George. Two Ruperts for the price of one!
Rupert Vansittart
Fans of Game of Thrones know Rupert Vansittart as Yohne Ryce, but he’s been in a bunch of historical films over the years. Among them, doing his best John Cleese impersonation in Braveheart (1995) as Lord Bottoms:
He’s also the rape-y Mr. Wattlesbrook in Austenland (2013):
And most recently, he’s Throckmorton in Versailles (2016-):
Rupert Evans
In World Without End (2012), the sequel to Pillars of the Earth, Rupert Evans plays the ambitious Godwyn in the worst wig ever:
But before that, he was the duplicitous Richard “Gentleman” Rivers in Fingersmith (2005):
And Frank Churchill in Emma (2009).
Rupert Grint
Seriously, you think I was going to leave out Ron Weasley? You clearly don’t know me very well. While Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire isn’t technically historical, the costume that poor ‘ol Ron is forced to wear to the Yule Ball qualifies as something that was probably best left to the mists of time:
Rupert Penry-Jones
As Thomas Hamilton, Rupert Penry-Jones made quite a splash in Black Sails (2015-17) as the love-interest of the show’s main character, Captain Flint:
He was also Captain Wentworth in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (2007):
And in 2003, he was Donald Maclean in the BBC2 miniseries Cambridge Spies:
Rupert Young
It’s a travesty of historical inaccuracies, but Rupert Young was Lord Thomas Stanley in The White Queen (2013):
And Sir Leon in Merlin (2015), which kind-of-sorta-maybe is historical…ish:
- Yes, I know, this is not an exhaustive list of all the Ruperts in film. These are just the ones I could reliably find photos of online and who weren’t playing, say, Farmer #1.
Do you have a favorite Rupert in historical costume movies and TV?Â
Pretty much everything always needs more Ciaran Hinds. This is fact.
Agreed!
We love Merlin! Pic from White Q.
Hey, naked is a costume…..
As a side note, ‘Rupert’ is a British army slang term for an officer, particularly of the gentry class. It ostencably comes from the name being a common boys name in that class, (as well as from those with aspirations). From the photos above, a certain amount of typecasting seem to accompany the name.
Rupert Penry-Jones in that Persuasion is my grown-ass woman crush in Austen films. Whereas Colin Firth’s Darcy is my teenage hearthrob Austen crush. If ya get my drift.
Rupert Penry-Jones is also in Charlotte Gray, with Cate Blanchett — it’s a WWII-era film, and that was the first time he made me say, “Dayum.”
Historical note: Prince Rupert of the Rhine was a Stuart prince who fought in the Civil Wars for his cousin, Charles I.
For me it’s Rupert Everett and Rupert Graves. But my heart belongs to Rufus. I’d shag the Ruperts and marry/shag Rufus.
Was Rupert Vansittart in 1995’s “Pride and Prejudice”?
Yup! Mr. Hurst!
Actually, it was Rupert Graves who played Stanley in The White Queen. Here’s a pic:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469992911083674452/
Kept thinking that Rupert Evans looked familiar, so I googled and he was also in Agora! This just happened a second time btw, I watched The Handmaid’s Tale and thought that Nick had a familiar face. Bang, Max Minghella, also from Agora
Speaking of the wonderful Mr. Hinds, an MCM for him would be lovely…
I don’t know what it is about Rupert Young- he didn’t initially make much of an impression on me in early Merlin eps… but he’s kind of snuck up on me, lol.
That WQ picture is the perfect representation of why I adore him now; there’s this impression of sweetness & kindness, from his eyes- all the way out – I really want to watch WQ- for him & one of my other crushes, David Oakes (I also like that he’s not playing a jerk in the new Victoria series)- I knew the moment I heard he was playing Clarence what I might expect when I got around to watching it {what seems like a very long time ago I read ‘The Lady & the Unicorn’, by a fellow Antipodean, Isolde Martyn- so I got a clear impression of: Clarence = tool}.
If you need ideas for ManCandy- I know tastes are subjective & all, but… might I suggest
1) Paul Telfer – I haven’t seen his earliest work, but I saw him in “Hercules”, as… Hercules, where he has a cute English accent- & damn!!! (& yes he is worth 3 exclamations!) As well as where I first saw him, “NCIS”, where his character Damon Werth was in 3 eps, across a couple of seasons- but it was the first, ‘Corporal Punishment’ that really blew me away; he has this raw power mixed with a sense of vulnerability- & it was an amazing combination. He looked smokin! in the Marine uniform, had some incredible fight scenes with Cote DePablo/ Ziva, & has a very creditable American accent- though me being Australian, perhaps I’m no judge – he’s the Hunter Alexander in “TVD” (with his natural Scottish accent)- he’s Mackintosh in “OUaT” (again, with his natural accent, though it seems to be a bit stronger here); there’s this wonderful sense of growth to his character over his appearances, that serves as a cool kind of live-action sequel to “Brave”: there’s a fantastic scene where he & others help Merida… & the exchange between them – oh! Just look at their eyes & smiles- it’s really beautiful.
2) Craig Parker – for those of us old enough to remember- I’m certain he was in several eps of “Xena”, but the two characters I remember, were: an enchanted prince, I think (don’t quote me on it- I’m too lazy to look it up, & am relying on my less-than-perfect memory) & a villain, Bellerophon, which I know for a fact – the whole world knows he was in “LotR”, obviously- he was the lead antagonist in “Legend of the Seeker”, ‘Darken Rhal’- he was a villain in an “NCIS: LA” ep- he was also one of the lead antagonists in “Spartacus: Blood & Sand”, as well as its’ sequel, “Spartacus: Vengeance” – I heard he had a role in the “Sleepy Hollow” series, again, as a villain, though I haven’t got around to watching it- & he played the complicated ‘Stephane Narcisse’ in “Reign”- enjoy the wild boxing scene he has in that!
& 3) Tom Sturridge – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy with such translucent skin- if there’s a guy that fits the term ‘beautiful’, it’s him. He was in a couple of scenes in “Vanity Fair”, where he really seems to channel JRM’s George, though they had no scenes together & the character had died before Georgie was born – he was in “The Boat that Rocked”- he was in a British/ Australian production of a thriller with Eddie Redmayne & Toni Colette, I can’t think of the name of it, & I only saw the trailer- more recently, I saw a trailer for “Mary Shelley”, where he’s Byron.
I was momentarily confused at two separate times; I thought I saw him in “Vengeance”, as Seppius & later, in an ep of “Miss Fisher”- it wasn’t Tom Sturridge, but Tom Hobbs in both roles.
You could also look at… Tom Hiddleston, Nikolaj Coster-Waldu, Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Tom Hopper, Henry Cavill, Luke Roberts…
Sorry for rambling a bit- but it’s about hot guys… can you blame me, lol!?
Oh, just a thought- as you’ve done a ‘Rupert’ page- you could do a ‘Tom’ or ‘Chris’ page- not quite as much flair as Rupert, I know- but the actors & roles would make up for it.
Rupert Penry-Jones was also alongside David Tennant, in Casanova, as Grimani.
Of the pictures posted here, Rupert Everett takes the cake. IRL, Rupert Penry-Jones has the most mmm…. factor out of these Ruperts. As per “more Ciaran Hinds”… yes, yes, and always!